


stay for me

by xrebelwithacausex



Series: [i love you] [i know] [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Confessions, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, First Kiss, Han Solo Needs A Hug, I Love You, Leia Organa Needs a Hug, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26669350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xrebelwithacausex/pseuds/xrebelwithacausex
Summary: when leia receives news that han is leaving - without telling her - she's angry that she'll be without her best pilot. but when han asks to speak with her privately before he leaves, she learns something new about him - and about herself.**part of a series of unrelated star wars one shots, mostly centered on han/leia or the falcons' crew**
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo
Series: [i love you] [i know] [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940494
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	stay for me

**Author's Note:**

> i checked my email earlier today, and i have so many lovely comments on my previous work! it really means so much to me that people take the time out to tell me that they liked my work, and it really keeps me moving forward and writing more! i hope this one shot lives up to your expectations, and again, i can't articulate how warm and happy i felt seeing all the love and support you guys gave me :)

Leia pushed through a thrall of rebel fighters, unable to process anything except Wedge’s words ringing in her ears. She finally made her way to the hangar, where the Falcon was prepped for takeoff, it’s pilot exchanging laughing words with Luke.

The smile fell off Han’s face as he caught sight of her, and he muttered something to Luke she couldn’t quite hear. But the sentiment was written all over his face. She marched over to the two, all but shoving her brother out of the way.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, hands on her hips. Han shrugged, his previous annoyance schooled back into carefully crafted flippancy.

“Things to do. Places to be. You know how it is,” he said, loading cargo boxes onto the Falcon. A surge of anger coursed through Leia’s veins.

_ He wants you to be upset. He wants you to be angry. He’s just trying to put his bravado act back on. He’s doing it on purpose _ , she told herself. 

_ Is he? _ a voice in the back of her head piped up. 

She blinked, trying to silence the growing doubt in the back of her mind.

“I see,” she said, her words icier than she’d intended them to be.

Han set down the box he was carrying with a thud. “I told you I would leave. I have debts to pay, you know,”

Leia bit her lip, unable to choke down her fury. “You’ve mentioned. Many times,” she said. “The great Han Solo and his crippling debt. You make a good team,”

In the distance, Leia heard Chewie’s voice blare out in irritation of being forgotten, but she elected to ignore it. ‘The great Han Solo, his Wookie sidekick, and his crippling debt’ didn’t sound quite as sharp as she wanted it to.

Hans’ features twisted in annoyance. “What do you want me to do, sweetheart? Stay here and wait for the bounty hunters to get me?”

“You could’ve said goodbye,” she retorted. “What was your plan? I’d wake up and realize that I’ve suddenly lost one of my best pilots because he couldn’t be bothered to let me know he was leaving?”

_ I’d wake up and realize you abandoned me _

At this, Han at least had the decency to look ashamed. “I should’ve called for you first,” he admitted, raking his hand through his hair. 

“Yes, you should have!” she said, a note of betrayal making itself known against her will.

_ One _

_ Two _

_ Three _

She took a deep breath, steadying her anger and pain. Han looked at her, then at the crowd amassing before them.

“Can we talk privately?” he asked. 

Leia wanted to say no. She wanted to take his peace offering and spit it in his face and see how much he liked it then. She wanted to leave before he could. She wanted to hurt him the way he was hurting her. She would never give him the satisfaction of having the last word.

“Okay,” she said. She boarded the Falcon with him.

When they got inside, Han raised the ramp, and everything went quiet. She felt her heart speed up, cursing herself for the way she felt.

“What?” she asked.

Han looked up, biting his lip as though the words weren’t coming to him.

“You understand why I have to do this, right?” he asked. 

Leia didn’t trust herself to speak. The wrath and pain building up inside of her was threatening to pour out. Unable to contain herself, she started to laugh. Not a small giggle that builds up to a full-bodied laugh, but a wild, slightly manic laugh, completely devoid of any happiness.

“What?” Han snapped. “What is so funny about this?”

“‘You understand why I have to do this, right?’” Leia mocked in a high-pitched tone, then snapped back to her own voice. “Of course I understand!” she yelled. “You’re selfish! You’re a coward! You don’t want to do anything that involves helping other people, because the only thing you’re good for is saving your own damn skin!”

Han clenched his jaw.

“Do you really think that’s what I’m doing?” he asked in a low growl. 

“Don’t go lying to me to make this easier for yourself,” she hissed. “If you’re leaving, leave with some honesty,”

_ Tell me you’re leaving because you don’t care _

“Honesty? Honesty?” Han exploded. “I’ll show you honesty!”

“You wouldn’t know it if it hit you upside the head!”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” he sneered. “Well, Your Highness, I’m sorry not everybody can live their lives to the standards you’ve lived yours, but one thing I can tell you is that when you’re born into my life, you learn who’s lying pretty damn fast,” Han accompanied each of the last three words with a jab of his finger, Leia flinching each time.

“Well if you’re so familiar with honesty, then show me some!” she snarled. “Tell me why you’re leaving!”

“Because I love you!” Han roared.

Leia blinked. “What?” she asked in disbelief.

Han twisted his lip in irritation. “Because I love you, goddamnit,” he grumbled. “I love you so much it hurts, and I can’t stay here because I can’t stand the thought of you being in danger because of me. Happy?”

Far from it. She lifted her hand to her mouth in a faint attempt at hiding her shock and rapidly reddening cheeks. “You love me?”

“Do you want me to sing it for you?” Han said irritably.

Leia looked down, then back up at Han. She was surprised he couldn’t hear her blood rushing through her head, or feel her pulse from where he was standing.

_ Say it back _

_ Don’t _

_ It might be your last chance _

_ Don’t make this more difficult for yourself _

_ I am not going to make this hurt any more than it already is, _ Leia thought.

“I love you too,” she whispered.

Now it was Han’s turn to look up in disbelief. “What?”

“I said I love you too,” she admitted, half to herself and half to him.

As if in a trance, they moved closer to each other. When Han leaned in, one hand against her back and the other in her hair, she could only kiss him back.

After several moments, they broke off the kiss.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” Han said.

“Me too,” Leia admitted.

There was a taut, suffocating silence that Leia itched to break, and at the same time wished would never end.

“So what now?” she finally asked.

They locked eyes, incomprehensible sadness drawn on both of their faces. 

“Now I have to leave,” Han whispered, cupping her cheek. “For you,”

“Stay for me,” she said. Han stroked her cheek with his thumb, and she soaked up every last bit of his touch.

He inhaled shakily. “Don’t make this harder for me,” he said in a low voice. 

She ignored him. If there was even the slightest chance of getting him to stay, she was taking it. Even if it hurt.

“We can repay your debts. We can fight off the bounty hunters. We can do it  _ together _ ,” she pleaded. “We’re a team,”

Han said nothing.

“Aren’t we?” she asked, voice trembling. Han looked up at her and smiled.

“We are,”

Leia let out a shaky sigh before bursting into tears. Han moved forward to comfort her, wrapping his arms around her as he rested his chin on her head.

“We’re a damn good team,”


End file.
